


The Right Choice

by ellia



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Community: spn_las, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-02
Updated: 2011-06-02
Packaged: 2017-10-20 01:20:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/207287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellia/pseuds/ellia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone keeps telling Dean that Sam's soul is too broken to be saved. He can't believe that, and in the end, it's his decision to make.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Right Choice

**Author's Note:**

> (for the prompt - time will tell, spoilers for season 6 eps - Appointment in Samarra and Like A Virgin)

In the end there’s only one choice he can make, and he has to believe it’s the right thing to do. Dean’s a firm believer in the principle of _act now and worry about the consequences when they bite you in the ass._

 

It has to be the right decision, no matter how much Sam rails against it. It’s been killing him, being with this broken version of his brother. He has Sam’s face, his memories, and sometimes Dean can almost believe that everything’s okay. But it’s not, and Dean can’t pretend that things can go on this way.

 

Dean needs his whole brother back, wants the Sam who always cared too much, not this empty shell that doesn’t seem to care at all. Every instinct he has, says that this is right; that the brother he remembers wouldn’t want to live this way.

 

He knows that Sam’s soul is suffering, and he understands all too well the torments Sam’s been facing. He needs to save Sam’s soul from its torture, he’ll worry about helping Sam live with those dark memories after his soul is safe. Death’s offer is an opportunity that Dean’s got no intention of turning down. Sam gets his soul, and all the bad memories get locked away where they can’t hurt anyone.

 

Dean’s not foolish enough to think that Sam won’t pick at the wall, he knows his brother too well for that. He’s heard the warnings, knows there’s a chance this’ll all fall apart, but he’s willing to take that bet. Seventy-five percent is better than nothing, and they’re Winchesters, beating impossible odds is what they do.

 

He needs to do this; the chance to have Sam back at his side is worth any risk. The more Sam objects the surer Dean becomes so he makes the choice, slips the ring onto his finger and sets out to meet Death’s challenge.

 

It’s harder than he could have imagined, he tries to keep himself from caring, to remember this is all for Sam. But he fails, a lost little girl in a hospital bed makes him hesitate, and everything starts to fall apart.

 

-*-

 

Hours later, wager lost as he tried to fix his mistakes, he heads back to Sam. Seeing Bobby bound and bleeding, realising that Sam’s prepared to kill the only family they’ve got left just to keep his soul away; breaks Dean’s heart all over again. This isn’t Sam, it can’t be, and Dean may have failed this time, but he’s not giving up.

 

It’s no surprise that Death rigged the challenge; that he was trying to teach Dean a lesson. Dean gets it, sort of, he still hates the idea of it; that the natural order is so fixed and there’s no way to change it. But he understands that there are consequences to fighting it, and that playing god always seems to get him into trouble.

 

Some time later he’ll laugh at the idea that he and Sam are affronts to the natural order, at the thought that their very existence fucks things up. But for now he’s just going to be grateful that Death’s still willing to restore Sam’s soul.

 

Sam begs and pleads with them to stop, but Dean hardens his heart, tries his best to ignore the fear in Sam’s voice, he knows this broken shell will do and say anything to keep the soul away. He ignores Sam’s warnings of disaster, just like he ignored every other warning he’s heard. Death told him that souls were strong, tough and resilient; and he _knows_ that Sam’s strong enough for this. He has to be, Dean can’t even consider the possibility of losing him all over again.

 

Sam screams as the soul settles into his body, Dean aches to comfort him, to take away the pain, but he can’t, he just has to stand and watch as Death gives Sam’s soul back to him. It’s a relief when Sam collapses, Dean isn’t sure how much longer he could have stood by and listened to Sam screaming that way.

 

Death leaves them with Sam’s unconscious body, tells them that he’s done what he can to protect Sam’s mind from his memories of the cage. Warns Dean again that if Sam picks at the wall, it will break, and Sam’s mind will be left unprotected.

 

-*-

 

They clean Sam up as best they can, and move him to the bed in the hopes that he’ll rest easier. They take turns watching over him, waiting for him to come back to them. Castiel stops by and confirms that Sam’s soul is safely back in place; but he’s not happy with the choices Dean made. He says that Sam’s soul is too broken, that he’s still suffering the agonies of the cage; tells Dean that it would have been kinder to just end Sam’s life, instead of leaving him in pain.

 

Dean only hears the good parts, Sam’s soul is back where it should be, nothing else matters. Days come and go, and Dean keeps watching and waiting. They have to hook up an IV to keep Sam’s body hydrated and healthy; Bobby tries to remind Dean that Castiel warned Sam might not wake up at all. But Dean doesn’t want to hear that.

 

Of course Sam’s a contrary bastard, and has to wake up on one of the few occasions Dean leaves him alone. Seeing his brother stumble through the door, hearing his voice, feeling those long arms wrap around him as they hug for the first time, it’s everything Dean’s been hoping for.

 

He holds Sam close, and feels nothing but joy and relief that it all worked out. He’s sure he made the right call, that all those dire warnings he heard were wrong. Only time will tell if the wall protecting Sam’s mind will hold, but Dean will worry about that later, for now he just wants to enjoy having his brother back safely in his arms.

  



End file.
